1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a harness for breathing tanks or other objects, consisting of a supporting plate with a hinged waist plate that is supported by the users body, and fastening straps.
2. Background Art
A waist pad is known to softly support the supporting plate in the waist area. Such waist pads will attenuate any pressure applied due to the soft bolstering material used; however they may also cause shifting of the supporting plate to which at least one breathing tank or other heavy objects are attached so that an accurate and firm fit of the supporting plate to the users body is not ensured.
In addition, a harness including a waist plate hinged to the supporting plate in a joint that allows movement with multiple degrees of freedom has been proposed. This hinged joining of the waist plate and the supporting plate poses the disadvantage that it allows the former to move around 360° and may cause a user to put it on incorrectly, so that its capacity to move when worn is only restricted by the waist strap attached to it. This means that the supporting plate flexibly rests on the waist and may move to a point at which the user does no longer feel the tight and firm fit of the harness but experiences a rather insecure and shifty fit. However important wearing comfort may be, the user definitely wants to feel the harness strapped to the back in a secure and firm fit. In addition, the joint exerts a lumped unpadded load pressure on the user's body.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to design a harness of the type described above that provides excellent wearing comfort and ensures a firm fit of the supporting plate and any objects fastened thereto.